Calí History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

Etymology of Calí

What does the name Calí mean?

Although it has long been an Italian name, the ultimate origins of the Calí name are Greek, coming from the Greek word "cali" meaning "beautiful." The name was most likely taken on a surname quite arbitrarily, though perhaps the first bearer was a man of exceptional beauty.

Early Origins of the Calí family

The surname Calí was first found in Sicily (Italian: Sicilia), the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and the southern parts of mainland Italy. In later years, a few branches of the family spread to northern Italy, adopting the naming conventions there and changing their name to end in "i." Most of the family remained in the south, however, and kept the southern suffix "o." The name is of Greek origin, which explains its predominance in the south, closer to Greece. Coming from the Greek word "cali" meaning "beautiful" the name was probably purely ornamental, though perhaps it was given because the first bearer was a man of exceptional beauty.

Early History of the Calí family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calí research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1272 and 1613 are included under the topic Early Calí History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Calí Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Calo, Cali, Cala, Cale, Calio and others.

Early Notables of the Calí family

Guglielmo Servilla e Cali, a member of the Order of Knights of Malta, in 1613

Calí Ranking

the United States, the name Calí is the 16,601^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Calí migration to the United States +

Calí Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Matteo Cali, who arrived in New York city in 1891 on board the SS Anglia

Calí Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Frances Cali, who was recorded in Louisiana in the 1910 U.S. Census
John Michael Cali, who was naturalized in New York in 1914
James Cali, who arrived in New York state between the years 1884-1915

Contemporary Notables of the name Calí (post 1700) +

Joeseph "Joe" Cali (b. 1960), American author, travel writer and travel agent
Joseph Cali (b. 1950), American actor
Carmen Salvatore Cali (b. 1978), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
Lucille Cali, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1956 2
John F. Cali, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly 30th District; Elected 1975 3
Gaetano Emanuel Calì (1885-1936), Italian composer, orchestra conductor, and bandleader
Vincenza Calì (b. 1983), Italian track and field sprint athlete
Giulio Calì (1895-1967), Italian film actor
Giuseppe Calì (b. 1952), Italian golfer
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html